A husband and wife were in despair. The woman had just given birth to their 13th child, and the growing family was quickly running out of food and money. Wandering into the woods, the father encountered a skeletal figure with sunken eyes and a gaunt face: this was Death himself, come to offer his services as Godfather. Iseult Gillespie tells the tale of Death and the doctor. [Directed by Yael Reisfeld, narrated by Jack Cutmore-Scott, music by Jarrett Farkas].

TED-Ed: Lessons Worth Sharing

The tale of the doctor who defied Death | Iseult Gillespie

At the age of 21, Simone de Beauvoir became the youngest person to take the philosophy exams at France's most esteemed university. But as soon as she mastered the rules of philosophy, she wanted to break them. Her desire to explore the physical world to its fullest would shape her life, and eventually, inspire radical new philosophies. Iseult Gillespie explores the life of the revolutionary thinker. [Directed by Sarah Saidan, narrated by Bethany Cutmore-Scott, music by Stephen LaRosa].

The meaning of life according to Simone de Beauvoir | Iseult Gillespie

An orchestra fills an opera house with music, but a singer's voice soars above the instruments. Its melody rings out across thousands of patrons— all without any assistance from a microphone. How is it possible that a single voice can be heard so clearly? The answer lies in the physics of the human voice. Ming Luke explains the carefully honed technique of an expert opera singer. [Directed by Franz Palomares, narrated by Addison Anderson].

What's a squillo, and why do opera singers need it? | Ming Luke

This is episode 7 of our animated series "Think Like A Coder." This 10-episode narrative follows a girl, Ethic, and her robot companion, Hedge, as they attempt to save the world. The two embark on a quest to collect three artifacts and must solve their way through a series of programming puzzles. [Directed by Kozmonot Animation Studio, narrated by Addison Anderson].

The Tower of Epiphany | Think Like A Coder, Ep 7 | Alex Rosenthal

A new drug reduces the risk of heart attacks by 40%. Shark attacks are up by a factor of two. Drinking a liter of soda per day doubles your chance of developing cancer. These are all examples of a common way risk is presented in news articles, and can often be misleading. So how can we better evaluate risk? Gerd Gigerenzer explores the difference between relative and absolute risk. [Directed by Visorama, narrated by Addison Anderson].

Why do people fear the wrong things? | Gerd Gigerenzer

In the African grasslands, a gazelle suffering from tuberculosis takes its last breath. The animal's corpse threatens to infect the water, but for the vulture, this isn't a problem: it's a feast. With a stomach of steel that can digest diseased meat and waste, vultures are essential to removing dangerous pathogens from ecosystems. Kenny Coogan explores the importance of the desert's cleanup crew. [Directed by Katarina Jukić, narrated by Addison Anderson].

Vultures: The acid-puking, plague-busting heroes of the ecosystem | Kenny Coogan

With their navigational skills and advanced longships, the Vikings sustained their seafaring for over 300 years. But for all their might, they left few monuments. Instead, fragments of stone, bark and bone found in the sites of ancient settlements provide the keys to their culture. Many of these objects are inscribed with Old Norse written in runic letters. Jesse Byock explores the ancient language. [Directed by Lisa LaBracio, narrated by Bethany Cutmore-Scott].

The secret messages of Viking runestones | Jesse Byock

In 1881, doctor William Halsted rushed to help his sister Minnie, who was hemorrhaging after childbirth. He quickly inserted a needle into his arm, withdrew his own blood, and transferred it to her. After a few uncertain minutes, she began to recover. What made this blood transfusion successful? Bill Schutt explains the history of the life-saving procedure. [Directed by Hype CG, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Gabriel Maia].

How do blood transfusions work? | Bill Schutt

Historically, the union between Shiva and Parvati was a glorious one: a sacred combination which brought fertility and connection to all living things. Yet a rift had grown between these two forces. Setting out to prove the importance of her work, Parvati withdrew from the world and sent the Earth into darkness. Antara Raychaudhuri and Iseult Gillespie tell the story of the goddess Annapurna. [Directed by Roxane Campoy, narrated by Susan Zimmerman, music by Stéphane Gassot].

The legend of Annapurna, Hindu goddess of nourishment | Antara Raychaudhuri and Iseult Gillespie

In the mid-19th century, suspension bridges were collapsing all across Europe. Their industrial cables frayed and snapped under the weight of their decks. So when German American engineer John Roebling proposed building the largest and most expensive suspension bridge ever conceived, New York City officials were understandably skeptical. Alex Gendler details the building of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. [Directed by Jeremiah Dickey, narrated by Addison Anderson].

Epic Engineering: Building the Brooklyn Bridge | Alex Gendler

In 1928, scientist Alexander Fleming returned to his lab and found something unexpected: a colony of mold growing on a Petri dish he'd forgotten to place in his incubator. And around this colony of mold was a zone completely and surprisingly clear of bacteria. What was this mysterious phenomenon? Allison Ramsey and Mary Staicu detail the discovery of penicillin and how it transformed medicine. [Directed by WOW-HOW Studio, narrated by Susan Zimmerman].

The accident that changed the world | Allison Ramsey and Mary Staicu

Someone has tripped the magical alarms in the Element Temple. When you and the other monks arrive on the scene, you know you have a disaster on your hands. Four young apprentices broke into the temple's inner chamber to steal the sacred element crystals. But when the alarm went off they panicked, and each of them swallowed a crystal. Can you determine who ate which crystal? Alex Gendler shows how. [Directed by Artrake Studio, narrated by Addison Anderson].

Everything changed when the fire crystal got stolen | Alex Gendler

Can someone's political identity actually affect their ability to process information? The answer lies in a cognitive phenomenon known as partisanship. While identifying with social groups is an essential and healthy part of life, it can become a problem when the group's beliefs are at odds with reality. So how can we recognize and combat partisanship? Jay Van Bavel shares helpful strategies. [Directed by Patrick Smith, narrated by Addison Anderson].

Do politics make us irrational? | Jay Van Bavel

In 1972, Thomas Sankara was swept into the revolution seeking to wrest control of Madagascar from France's lingering colonial rule. The protests inspired the West African native to read works by socialist leaders and seek wisdom from military strategy. Leaving Madagascar in 1973, he was determined to free his country from its colonial legacy. Lisa Bacon details the life of the revolutionary icon. [Directed by Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat, narrated by Christina Greer, music by WORKPLAYWORK / Cem Misirlioglu].

The life, legacy & assassination of an African revolutionary | Lisa Janae Bacon

This is episode 6 of our animated series "Think Like A Coder." This 10-episode narrative follows a girl, Ethic, and her robot companion, Hedge, as they attempt to save the world. The two embark on a quest to collect three artifacts and must solve their way through a series of programming puzzles. [Directed by Kozmonot Animation Studio, narrated by Addison Anderson].

The Chasm | Think Like A Coder, Ep 6 | Alex Rosenthal

TED-Ed's commitment to creating lessons worth sharing is an extension of TED's mission of spreading great ideas. Within TED-Ed's growing library of TED-Ed animations, you will find carefully curated educational videos, many of which represent collaborations between talented educators and animators nominated through the TED-Ed website (ed.ted.com).

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TED-Ed: Lessons Worth Sharing

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